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Dear Constituents,
For many Ohio families, summer break is coming to a close and our young ones are
getting ready to head back to school. We all want the best for our kids, especially
when it comes to their education. The best way to guarantee our kids receive a
world-class education is to support our public schools. Our childrens future largely
hinges on the academic foundation they receive from pre-k through high school
and often beyond. A good education helps our young people develop the skills they
need to get into a good college, find a job they love and live out their dreams.

Ohio House Dems

Are Now On:

In recent years, more and more Ohio students are turning to private, for-profit charter schools for their education. These schools receive tax payer dollars, but are not
subject to the same rigorous oversight as Ohios public schools. In fact, the lack of
strong regulations has led The Center for Education Reform to dub Ohio the wild
west of charter schools.
I believe this wild west regulatory environment has directly led to some troubling
issues with Ohios charter school system. For instance, last fall an investigation by
the Auditor of State found significantly lower attendance in half of the 30 schools
where auditors conducted unannounced head counts. The state relies on attendance
figures to calculate the amount of state aid to the schools.
Unfortunately, the legislature failed to act an important charter reform measure before breaking for the summer recess. While far from perfect, I believe House Bill 2
would have been a solid step in the right direction toward changing how private, forprofit charter schools operate in Ohio. Instead of voting on the measure, the legislature effectively kicked the can down the road just weeks before another school year
is set to begin.
I believe Ohioans deserve responsible stewardship of their hard-earned tax dollars,
and Ohio families deserve better performance and accountability from the schools
that are tasked with educating our children. The current troubles of the charter
school system in Ohio demand immediate and substantive action by this state legislature.
I hope that when the legislature returns to session charter reform is at the top of
the agenda. Our children always should be.

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Sincerely,

Nickie J. Antonio
State Representative

In This Issue
Local hiring restriction could stifle job opportunities/Back-to-school sales tax holiday
Many Ohio communities use local hiring quotas for publicly
financed projects as a way to strengthen local workforce
participation and, in turn, strengthen local economies. However, legislation currently being debated in the Ohio House
of Representatives would restrict this practice, potentially
giving an edge to out of state contractors.
The back-to-school season will be a little easier for Ohio
families this year thanks to a new sales tax holiday implemented by state lawmakers.

Click here for more.

State Representative, national organizations call for industrial methane emission regulations
Representative Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) discusses how Ohioans would benefit from national policies that clean up industrial methane pollution for the
oil and natural gas industry.

Click here for more.

State Representative
Nickie J. Antonio
Contact Information

Columbus
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-5921 Phone
(614) 719-3913 Fax
(800) 282-0253 Toll Free
Send me an e-mail! Rep13@ohiohouse.gov
On the Web: http://www.ohiohouse.gov

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2015 State Representative Nickie J. Antonio